Go behind the gates of Cadogan Place Gardens

This weekend, as part of the London Open Gardens scheme, you can step into the enchanting Cadogan Place Gardens, a hidden treasure in the heart of Chelsea that is usually only accessible to the lucky residential key-holders and guests at neighbouring hotels. 

The Gardens will open their gates to visitors on the weekend of 8 and 9 June 2024, from 10am to 4pm, when you can explore the remarkable flora usually tucked away behind the gates of Sloane Street.

Cadogan Place South Garden is one of London’s most historic gardens and was originally known as the London Botanic Garden, incorporating a school and library. In 1777, the eponymous square surrounding the gardens was the first site to be developed by Henry Holland, architect to the Georgian aristocracy.

There are walks and mixed borders, a sculpture by David Wynne, and a fraxinus quadrangulata tree planted by the Queen Mother. Dickens described Cadogan Place in Nicholas Nickleby as “the one slight bond that joins two great extremes; it is the connecting link between the aristocratic pavements of Belgrave Square, and the barbarism of Chelsea. It is in Sloane Street, but not of it”.

The black mulberry trees on the lawn are said to be around 300 years old and are thought perhaps to have been grown for the silk trade. Alas, they were the wrong variety.

And while nothing remains of Humphry Repton’s original design for Cadogan Place North Garden, its history remains fascinating. During World War II, a portion of the garden was repurposed for a barrage balloon and the War Office took control, transforming it into a base for tanks, anti-aircraft guns and troops. 

In the 1970s, the garden underwent a re-landscaping to accommodate an underground car park, technically making this a rooftop garden. The shallow soil in the garden creates a unique microclimate, acting as a bellwether for climate change across the estate. 

We suggest preparing for your visit by picking up some picnic essentials from the artisan food stores on Pavilion Road, before spending an afternoon exploring the beauty of these special places. Or you could drop into Anya Hindmarch’s Ice Cream Project III for a scoop or two of this year’s extraordinary flavours to savour on your rounds. 

Tickets for the Open Gardens are £22 and include entry to all of central London’s private, secret and little-known gardens during the weekend*, or access to just the Cadogan Place Gardens can be purchased on the gate.

There will also be afternoon tea available, including scones with all the trimmings, sausage rolls, ice cream and soft drinks, plus there will be a pop-up stand from The LaLee.

And if you can’t make it this weekend, guests staying at Beaverbrook Town House, The Cadogan, a Belmond Hotel and The Carlton Tower, Jumeirah, have access to the gardens year-round. 

*Some exclusions apply. Please click here for more details.